Deerfield second-grader Elyse Shaffer's favorite part of Kol Hadash's Sunday School is when the entire school-students, teachers and parents--gathers together for the last 20 minutes each week for a sing-along. "My favorite song is the Unicorn Song," says Elyse.

While her parents, Ilana and Marty, appreciate the music program, they joined Kol Hadash because they like that what's taught at Sunday School is consistent with what they think and how they live their lives. Marty, raised Conservative, and Ilana, raised Reform, like that the program focuses on fact rather than mythology. "The Kol Hadash Sunday School merges our family's Jewish identity with our humanistic outlook. We want our kids to learn about Judaism in a way that's meaningful to us."" says Marty.

While Jordyn Fishman, a 2009 confirmant from Wheeling, has warm memories of the music class, she says that what makes Kol Hadash Sunday School exceptional is that students are allowed to explore many different aspects of Judaism. "It gives children a chance to discover more about their own relationship to Judaism," Fishman says. "We are not told to think a certain way or behave in a certain manner, rather our questions are encouraged and we are constantly exploring new ideas."

"Our curriculum focuses on Jewish culture-our literature, celebrations and rituals, history, contributions, and ethics," explains Education Director Dawn Friedman. "We help our children explore their Jewish heritage, our relationship with the rest of the world and how to live their lives with personal integrity and responsibility. Sunday School at Kol Hadash is about learning who you are, where you came from, and how to be a good person (a mensch), the best person you can be."

Kol Hadash Sunday School meets from 9:30-11:30 a.m. each Sunday from September through May at Deerfield High School and offers classes for children from pre-Kindergarten through Confirmation (10th grade).

If you're seeking a Sunday School for your children, learn more about Kol Hadash at a casual back-to-school picnic on August 24, 4:00 - 6:00 pm at Maplewood Park in Deerfield.

· Meet our staff and learn about the curriculum.· Find out about our one-year school trial membership available to families with students entering grade 5 and below for a fraction of full dues.· Meet other families with shared interests.

About Kol HadashKol Hadash Humanistic Congregation, led by Rabbi Adam Chalom, is part of the worldwide movement of Secular Humanistic Judaism. We believe that human beings possess the intelligence and wisdom to determine the purpose and course of their lives without the need for supernatural guidance or protection. We use human reason, initiative, and courage to formulate and achieve our noblest aspirations. We believe we are Jewish by virtue of our participation in the history of the Jewish people. We interpret Jewish history as the product of human decisions and actions. We believe in the fundamental importance of individual responsibility to shape lives of significance and dignity.